In this edition of the L.A. Sparks offseason player journals, third-year guard Shannon Bobbitt discusses playing overseas in Portland and her expectations on the upcoming season.

How is everybody doing? I'm doing well over all and enjoying life.I can't complain.Things can always be better but they can also be a lot worse.I try to go with the flow and continue to count my blessings and take advantage of them.I love life and even when times get hard or a new challenge comes my way, I embrace the moment and think to myself 'what can I learn when times get hard' and all I have to do is seek the answer.I thank the Lord every day and will continue to show off the gift he gave me to the world.

When the 2009 season ended I was disappointed because we didn't come away with the championship.It would have been so amazing to win it for Lisa's last year.When I look back on it, 2009 was definitely a learning experience for me.This upcoming season will be my third year in the league and I am just trying to improve everyday so that when my number is called I'm ready.We had our postseason wrap-up meeting shortly after we returned from Phoenix and just like that, the 2009 season was over.I left L.A. and went home to New York to spend some time with my family.The time we shared was especially important to me because I get to see them so rarely since I'm on the west coast.I value each and every second I get to spend with my family because they are my rock and my foundation.

I got back to work pretty quickly after the season ended.When I workout I don't put any limits on myself or what I work on.I just get in the gym and go.I practice all types of drills and moves.I try to work on game situations and think about the types of shots that I will get in the games and what types of shots I'll need to create.I also think about running the point and delivering the ball to my teammates, I mean, I've got CP [Candace Parker] on my left and Tina Thompson on my right, DeLisha [Milton] is up ahead, how can I go wrong?Finally, I think about when the game is on the line and the team needs a big play from me.For me, it's about being prepared, mentally and physically.When I'm in the gym I'm in another world where I can do anything and be anything.

I'm currently playing in Poland right now and it is COLD!If I'm being honest though, I think that New York City is colder so I was able to adjust pretty fast.I don't really do anything fun; I stay at my apartment a lot of the time and watch TV and get on the computer.I go to practice, I workout, I go to games and then I go back home.That's the life of Shannon Bobbitt when I'm overseas, depending on the country I'm in of course.I'm really enjoying my experience here with my team and just trying to live in the moment.I'm trying to learn as much as I can and come back to LA in better shape and as a better player than when I left.Right now, we're just about to wrap up the regular season and then comes my favorite time of the year: PLAYOFFS!It's fun because I get to play against a lot of WNBA players and the games get really competitive, which I love.Look for my team to be holding up the trophy at the end!

Before I go, I wanted to share my thoughts on the 2010 season.Of course I'm excited; I always look forward to playing WNBA basketball because it was always my dream.But I'm REALLY excited for this year because I really feel that with the great players we've been able to add to the roster, we once again have a shot at winning the title.We have a new head coach who has a great basketball mind and is truly incredible at motivating her players.She is my kind of coach; we call that "A Players Coach."That alone will make this a great season.I think that once we build our team chemistry, we will be able to accomplish any goal we set.I know that this year will be tough because every team has their eye on the prize and every team will be stronger but we're looking forward to the challenge and plan to come out on top.